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CELEBRITIES WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
 Hi Everyone,
People become famous for all sorts of reasons, and their fame can last for 15 minutes or a lifetime. In the matter of our BE NICE revolution, I’m most interested in what people do with their celebrity. For example, I tend to be more attracted to movie stars’ talent when I hear that they’re also nice people or that they do amazing things with their star power.
Let’s face it, a movie star can make good things happen just by picking up the phone. You and I might have to work a little more to have the same impact. Since I know firsthand how difficult it can sometimes be to make a difference, I’m always thrilled to hear of celebrities who’ve chosen to use their star power in worthwhile ways. If they make that choice, then I can choose to support them—I’ll pay money to see their movies (not the violent ones), I’ll watch their television shows, I’ll buy their music, and I’ll see them in concert.
There are thousands of celebrities and leaders who do good things with their name and power. Dolly Parton, Kevin Bacon, and Colleen Barrett are three who come to my mind these days for the amazing work they’re doing to make the world a better place. You’ll read more about each of them in this month’s newsletter. And check out our featured article “Support Nice Celebrities” for more great ways to find and support the nicest celebrities.
Thanks for helping me live my fantasy of spreading this BE NICE message and giving nice people a voice.
XOXO, Winn
A BE NICE Story
Do you have a BE NICE story to share? Send it to editor@BeNiceOrElse.com. If it appears in the newsletter, you’ll receive a BE NICE T-shirt and CD!
 Southwest Airlines President Colleen Barrett holds the unique distinction of being the only female airline president in America. Perhaps even more unusual is the fact that her employees absolutely love her. On Valentine’s Day, Executive Chairman Herb Kelleher, CEO Gary Kelly, and Southwest’s 32,000-plus employees surprised Colleen with a special award.
The announcement was made as part of the airline’s annual Heroes of the Heart celebration, in which a “behind the scenes” department at Southwest is honored for their hard work. That department’s name is emblazoned on the Heroes of the Heart aircraft and it flies for the next year in their honor.
As a tribute to Colleen’s unwavering support of the company’s culture and her tireless efforts to nurture the company’s warrior spirit and competitive edge, employees throughout the company nominated her for the first-ever “Heroine of the Heart” award.
“It’s not easy to surprise me, but I was truly blown away to learn that a group of people had been able—on the sly—to put together something as big as an aircraft paint job without me knowing about it!” Colleen said. “I’m truly blessed that I love what I do and that I’m able to come to work every day and make a positive difference for our employees and our customers.”
Monthly Audio Message
 Philanthropist and legendary hairdresser Vidal Sassoon has joined forces with beauty industry leaders to aid post-Katrina and Rita families with the gift of new homes through Habitat for Humanity.
Sassoon’s Hairdressers Unlocking Hope Campaign, founded by Sassoon and behindthechair.com founder Mary Rector-Gable, intends to raise enough funds from the hair care industry to build a village of Habitat houses through the organization’s East Street Tammany affiliate.
 Founder of the international company that bears his name, Sassoon recognizes the plight of low-income families: his own childhood memories include living in a post-war London orphanage for six years. Sassoon donated $100,000 to build two new homes with Habitat for Humanity for Jessica Silve, a single mother with six children, and Stephen and Alicia Hendrix, who had been living in a FEMA trailer park with their two sons.
  Vidal Sassoon retired his hands more than 20 years ago but he continues to use his heart and voice to make a difference in the world. Listen in as he talks about his childhood, his inspirations, and his passion for rallying the beauty industry to rebuild homes in the Gulf Coast region.
If you enjoyed this month’s audio message, you’ll love our MASTERS Audio Club. CLICK HERE for more information.
For more information about Hairdressers Unlocking Hope or to make a donation, visit www.PaulMitchellTheSchool.com/Habitat after April 15th.
People Profile
 Fans around the world know Dolly Parton as a Grammy-winning, Academy Award-nominated country singer, songwriter, composer, author, and actress. Her face, voice, and world-famous figure are easily recognizable. But did you know she also founded a rapidly growing literacy program that provides free books to preschool children? Talented, beautiful, and so nice—no wonder we love her so much!
Wanting to make sure every child could discover the magic of having a book, regardless of their family’s income, Dolly launched the Imagination Library in 1996. She wanted to share her love of reading, so she decided to mail a brand-new, age-appropriate book to every child under five in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, and continue sending monthly books until each child turned five.
The program spread quickly, and today it’s in 572 communities in 41 states and has provided children with more than 7 million books. At the end of 2006, over 330,000 children were experiencing the joy of finding new books in their mailboxes every month, thanks to Dolly Parton’s pioneering program. Recently, Tennessee became the first state to make the Imagination Library available in every county, and discussions are underway in Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky to make it available to every child in those states as well.
“You will be amazed at the impact this simple gift has on the lives of children and their families,” Dolly says. For more information, visit www.imaginationlibrary.com.
Corporate Corner
Office Parties with a Purpose
Have you ever been to a party or corporate event and thought, Whoa, this had better be for charity! It would be silly if all this effort and money was only for profit or to market a company. How about turning your parties into events that make a difference?
To tell the truth, you can do triple duty. You can market your company, get your name out there, and make a difference by raising money for worthwhile causes or organizations—all at the same time.
 At my companies, the Paul Mitchell Schools, we spend the months of January, February, and March raising money for charities we care about. This year’s beneficiaries are Leeza’s Place, Habitat for Humanity, and the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation, our nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people in need within the beauty industry. We cap off the fundraiser with a gala celebration to honor all the schools that participated—and to raise additional money!
 Yes, we bring in wonderful guest speakers like Vidal Sassoon and fabulous entertainment like Dancing with the Stars. Yes, we hobnob with celebrities like our good friend and the host of our event, radio and TV personality Leeza Gibbons. And yes, we raise money to benefit worthwhile causes. Thinking you can only do one or the other is just small-minded in business today, and it’s not the BE NICE way.
Do Something!
If you want to support celebrities who do good things with their name and power, but you don’t know where to find them, check out www.sixdegrees.org. And if you’re looking for a quick, easy way to support the causes you care about, check out www.goodsearch.com.
 www.sixdegrees.org was founded by actor Kevin Bacon in partnership with the Network for Good. The site is based on the Six Degrees concept, which says that any one person is connected to any other person through six or fewer relationships. The SixDegrees Web site is about using this idea to accomplish something good. Visit the site to learn about and support the charities of celebrities and your friends and fundraise for causes close to your heart.
 www.goodsearch.com is a search engine that donates 50 percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. You use GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine, and its advertisers donate money to the cause you choose. GoodSearch was founded by Ken and JJ Ramberg and is dedicated to their mother, who passed away from cancer and who taught them both that by working together with dogged dedication, we can really make this world a better place.
Quotes of the Month
“Being in the NBA I learned that the things I do and say influence others, no matter if I’m playing a game or sitting in a restaurant. People are looking to me to see what I’m doing all the time. I really believe that with my success comes responsibility. I have more than I ever expected, but true success will be demonstrated in how I help others.”
— Jalen Rose, Chicago Bulls Guard and Active Philanthropist
“I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an ongoing process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.”
— Oprah Winfrey
“Is the rich world aware of how four billion of the six billion live? If we were aware, we would want to help out, we’d want to get involved.”
—Bill Gates
“In my early 20s, I was fighting with myself. Now, I take that punk in me to Washington, and I fight for something important.”
— Angelina Jolie
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